Deuteronomy 34:10

And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses,.... Not in the times of Joshua, who wrote this chapter, at least the last eight verses, Deuteronomy 34:5, as say the Jews (p); nor to

And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, There arose not a prophet since.

Like unto Moses, in the privileges here following. Whom the Lord knew face to face, i.e. whom God did so freely, and familiarly, and frequently converse with. See Poole "". See Poole "". See Poole "".

Deuteronomy 34:10 And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,Ver. 10. And there arose not.] This testimony, and indeed this whole chapter, is thought to have been added by Joshua or Eleazar, being divinely inspired, for the completing of the history, famous throughout the world; approved and expounded by all the holy prophets and apostles, who out of this fountain, or rather ocean of divinity, as Theodoret calleth Moses, have watered their various gardens; yea, in pressing moral duties, what do they else but explain the Pentateuch? What do they but unfold and draw out that arras which was folded together before? Surely the Pentateuch may well claim the title, De Originibus, above all other writings. And of Moses, the penman thereof, it may far better be said, than it was once of heathen Homer, that neither before him was there any whom he might imitate, nor after him any that could imitate him. But what a notoriously arrogant fool was Henry Nicholas, the founder of the Familists (if that were true of him, which is reported by a writer of good note) viz., that he boasted among his followers in Holland, that himself ought to be preferred before both Moses and Christ; because Moses taught hope, Christ faith, but he taught love, which was the greatest of those three graces. He said, moreover, that Moses stood in the outer court, Christ entered into the holy place, but that himself was entered into the holy of holies; yea, he blasphemously gave out that he did partake with God of his deity, and God with him of his humanity. Theodoretus Mosem appellat, τοντηςθεολογιαςωκεανον Patercul. Ich. Laet. Compend. Hist, Univers., p. 583.

(10) And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.—Probably these words are later than the time of Joshua, when longer experience gave men the power to see how far inferior the prophets were to their great predecessor in this respect. The difference is most clearly set forth in Numbers 12:7-8. (See Notes on that passage.)

Verse 10. There arose not a prophet, c.] Among all the succeeding prophets none was found so eminent in all respects nor so highly privileged as Moses with him God spoke face to face - admitted him to the closest familiarity and greatest friendship with himself. Now all this continued true till the advent of Jesus Christ, of whom Moses said, "A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you from among your brethren, like unto me;" but how great was this person when compared with Moses! Moses desired to see God's glory; this sight he could not bear; he saw his back parts, probably meaning God's design relative to the latter days: but Jesus, the Almighty Saviour, in whom dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, who lay in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared God to man. Wondrous system of legal ordinances that pointed out and typified all these things! And more wonderful system of Gospel salvation, which is the body, soul, life, energy, and full accomplishment of all that was written in the LAW, in the PROPHETS, and in the PSALMS, concerning the sufferings and death of Jesus, and the redemption of a ruined world "by his agony and bloody sweat, by his cross and passion, by his death and burial, by his glorious resurrection and ascension, and by the coming of the Holy Ghost!" Thus ends the PENTATEUCH, commonly called the LAW of MOSES, a work every way worthy of God its author, and only less than the NEW COVENANT, the law and Gospel of our Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST. Now to the ever blessed and glorious TRINITY, FATHER, WORD, and SPIRIT, the infinite and eternal ONE, from whom alone wisdom, truth, and goodness can proceed, be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. MASORETIC Notes on DEUTERONOMY The number of verses in ELLAH HADDEBARIM, Deuteronomy, Isaiah 955; the symbol of which is חנץ in which word ץ tsade stands for 900, נ nun for 50, and ח cheth for 5. The middle verse is Deuteronomy 17:10. And thou shalt observe to do all that they command thee. Its Pareshioth or larger sections are 11, the numerical symbol of which is חג chag; Psalms 118:27: Bind the SACRIFICE with cords to the horns of the altar. In which word ח cheth stands for 8, and ג gimel for 3. Its Sedarim or smaller sections are 27, the symbolical sign of which is יגיד yaggid; Proverbs 12:17: He that speaketh truth, SHOWETH FORTH righteousness. In which word the two י yods stand for 20, ד daleth for 4, and ג gimel for 3. Its Perakim or modern chapters are 34, the symbol of which is לבב lebab; Psalms 111:1. I will praise the Lord with my whole HEART. In which word the two ב beths stand for 4, and the ל lamed for 30.

10. The phraseology now becomes deuteronomic. See on Deuteronomy 18:15; Deuteronomy 18:18.

There arose not a prophet since in Israel - Words like these can only have been written some time, but not necessarily a long time, after the death of Moses.

10. And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses — When the writer of this supplementary chapter wrote, no such prophet had arisen, no one like unto Moses, whom Jehovah knew face to